Safety valve for oil burners and the like



1,623,160 A nl 5, 1927- B. BUERGER SAFETY VALVE FOR OIL BURNERS AND THELIKE Filed Sept. 23, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l gwpentoz xi, &

1927. Apnl c. B. BUERGER SAFETY .VkLVE FOR OIL BURNERS AND TH E LIKE 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 23, 1924 gpnwntot v bw/Pzza. 490/250 April 51 927, 1,623,160

0. B. BUERGER SAFETY VALVE FOR OIL BURNBRS AND THE LIKE FilGd Sept. 25,'1924 3 Sheats-$heet5 Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. BUERGER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 1T0 GULF OILBURNER COMPANY, OF PITTSBUEGH, 'PEIIESYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN-SYLVANIA.

SAFETY VALVE FOR OIL E'URNERS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed September 23, 1924.

This invention relates to safety valves for oil burners and the like;and it comprises a valve provided with means such as a weighted lever orthe like for normally closing it, a support for a receptacle having anextension such as a post or the like arranged to engage the valveclosing means to hold the valve in open position; and a receptaclemounted on the support, the support and empty receptacle being balancedso that the valve closing means is held in open position; wherebyoverflow from a burner or the like directed to said receptacle willcause the valve closing means to function; all as more r fullyhereinafter set forth and as claimed.

The invention is particularly useful in combination with valves whichcontrol the feed of oil to burners. Among other objects of my inventionis the provision of a simple and efficient mechanism of the characterdescribed and the provision of safety means whereby, after the valve hasbeen closed by the weight of an accumulation of oil in the overflowreceptacle and the latter has been remove-d for emptying from its support, the valve cannot again be held open by engagement with saidsupport until the receptacle has been replaced on the latter. In thisway I insure against setting of the mechanism unless it is arranged sothat overflow of the oil will result in automatic closing of the valve.

In the accompanying drawings showing one form of a specific embodimentof my in-- vention,

Fig; 1 is a perspective View of the mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional elevation, on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showingin dotted lines the position of certain parts when the valve is closed;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view, on a larger scale, of the valvecontrolling parts, and

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of said parts in another position.

The casing 1 is provided with ears 2 whereby it may be attached to thefloor. the boiler of the burner, or other convenient place, in positionto catch the overflow of oil. through pipe 31 leading from the burner.The casing 1 is open at the right hand end Serial No. 739,368.

preferably integral, bracket .5, to which the burner valve, designatedas a whole by 6, is attached by means of the U-bolts 7. The oil passesfrom said valve to the burner (not shown), through pipe 9, and issupplied to said valve from a source (not shown), through inlet pipe 8.The valve is provided with the usual stem 10 and hand wheel 11, to whichthe lever 12 is attached by means of bolts and nuts 13. Lever 12 isprovided with a weight 1-1, heavy enough to turn the wheel 11 and thusthe valve stem 10 and its rotor, whereby the valve is closed when lever12 is released, as hereinafter described. One end oflever 12 extendsthrough the slot 1 of the casing and is provided at its eX- tremity withhorizontal surface 15 and vertical surface 16, for a purpose to bedescribed.

The casing is provided inside with the brackets 17, to which is pivotedat 20 the post 18 of the platform 19, which is provided with a rim 21for holding the receptacle 22 in position on the platform. The platformpost 18 is curved over at the top and terminates in a surface 23,normally.

bearing upon the surface 15 of the lever 12, when the valve is to beheld in open position. On the upper portion of the post 18 is the safetylocking device, comprising the arm 24, extending through slot 3 of thebox or casing, and pivoted at 25 to saidpost'. Said arm 24- has anextension 26 on the other side of its pivot, and said extension carriesa projecting pin or screw 27 which normally rests against the endsurface 16 of the lever 12. The platform 19 is provided at its lower endwith an car 28, to which is attached the coiled spring 29, extendingupwardly to the top of the casing 1 and there secured in place by meansof eye-bolt 30. The strength of this spring is such that it holds theplat-form in normal horizontal position, but yields when the receptacle22 becomes filled with overflow oil. The arm 24 rests against the edgeof the receptacle and swings downwardly with it and the platform 19, asthe receptacle becomes filled and still further down when the receptacleis removed for emptying. hen the parts are in the position shown inFigure 3, the. surface 23 of the platform post 18 rests upon the surfaceof the lever 12, and the pin 27 of the safety arm 24 rests against thesurface 16 of said lever, so that the weight 14 is normally preventedfrom acting and the valve is held in open position.

The operation is as follows: hen the feed of oil to the burner is toofast for consumption, or when the flame is extinguished, the overflow orunconsumed oil from the burner flows through pipe 31 into the receptacle22. When the oil has accumulated sufficiently in said receptacle so thatits weight overcomes the tension of the spring 29, the platform swingsdownwardly upon its pivot 20 and the surface 23, of its post 18, slidesolf the surface 15 of the lever 12, whereupon the weight 14 is releasedand closes the valve, shutting off the flow of oil to the burner throughpipe 9. The receptacle 22 is then removed, allowing the arm 24 to fallinto a position in which its pin 27 rests against the surface 23 of post18 (see Fig. 5). l/Vhen these parts are in this position the lever 12cannot be again socured in horizontal position by engagement with thepost, and thus the valve cannot be held open. But when the receptaclehas been emptied and has been replaced upon the platform 19, the arm 24is raised into its original position with its pin 27 resting against thesurface 16 of-the lever, the surface 15 of which is again engaged by thesurface 23 of the post.

The effect of the arrangement of the arm 24 and its pin 27, is to giveit a tendency to force the platform 19 downward, and a tendency to forcethe upper portion of the post 18 away from its engagement with the lever12. When the receptacle is in place, it supports the weight of the arm24 and prevents its motion relative to post 18. The weight of the arm 24must now act around the pivot 20, and it is less effective than whenacting around the upper pivot 25, therefore the weight of arm 24 alonedoes not act to depress the platform 19.

The structure described provides means for the automatic closing of thevalve when the receptacle 22 is filled to a predetermined level and inaddition, means for preventing the holding of the valve in open positionwhen the receptacle is not in place.

To replace the receptacle after emptying it, the arm 24 is raised to theposition shown in Figure 3 in full lines and in Figure 4, and thesurface 23 of post 18 is caused to engage the surface 15 of the valvelever 12. The receptacle is then placed in position on the platform withthe arm 24 resting against its upper edge, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

lVhat I claim is 1. In an automatic valve mechanism, the combinationwith a weighted lever tending to close the valve, of a yieldinglysupported platform for a removable receptacle, said platform having apart adapted to engage the free end of said lever to hold the valveopen, and means carried by the platform to prevent the reengagement ofsaid part and lever unless the receptacle is on the platform.

2. In automatic valve mechanism, the combination with a weighted levertending to close the valve, of a yieldingly supported platform for aremovable receptacle, a post on the platform having its upper endadapted to engage over the free end of said lever when the valve andplatform are in normal position, and an arm pivoted on said post inposition to rest on said receptacle with its other end in engagementwith the said end of the lever, when in normal position, and inengagement with the said end of the post, when the receptacle is removedand the valve closed,.whereby reengagen'ient of said lever and post isprevented until the receptacle is replaced on the platform.

In an automatic valve mechanism, the combination with a weighted levertending to close the valve, of a yieldingly supported pivoted platformadapted to carry a removable receptacle, a post carried by said platform and by which the latter is pivoted, the upper end of said postbeing bent over to engage the free end of said lever and hold the valveopen when the platform is in normal raised position, and an arm pivotedon said post near its upper end in position to rest on the edge of thereceptacle when in place, the end of said arm on the other side of itspivot having a pin which normally bears against the end of said leverbut which bears under the said end of the post when the valve is closedand the receptacle is removed, whereby said lever cannot be reengagedwith said post until the receptacle is replaced on the platform.

4. The combination with a valve and a lever constantly tending toactuate the same, of means to hold said lever normally inoperative,comprising a pivoted platform having a member engaging the end of saidlever, a receptacle removably carried on said platform, and a spring tohold said platform in normal position; and means controlled by saidreceptacle to prevent the engagement of said lever and member in theabsence of said receptacle.

5. The combination with a valve and a lever constantly tending to closethe same. of a yieldingly supported platform having a projectionengaging said lever to hold the valve open, and means carried by theplatform in position to be engaged by a receptacle on the latter and toprevent the engagement of said lever and projection in the absence ofsaid receptacle.

6. In combination with a valve, a weighted lever connected to actuatethe same, a pivoted platform for a removable receptacle,

a post on said platform, a spring supporting said platform, the ends ofsaid post and lever being in engagement when the. valve is open and theplatform in normal raised position. and a safety arm pivoted on saidpost and normally engaging the end of said lever, said arm being alsosupported in normal position by the edge of said receptacle, whereby,when the receptacle becomes filled, the platform swings downwardly, thelever is released and the valve closed, and upon removal of thereceptacle, the safety arm swings into engagement with the end of thepos and prevents reengagement of the latter with the end of the leveruntil the receptacle is replaced on the platform and the arm raisedagain by its contact with the receptacle.

7. A safety device for oil burners comprising a valve, means normallytending to close said valve, a balanced support normally holding thevalve closing means in inoperative position, a receptacle for overflowoil removably carried by said support, and

means connected to the support for permitting the setting of the valvein open position only when the unfilled receptacle is in place upon thesupport.

8. A safety device for oil burners comprising a valve, means normallytending to close said valve; a receptacle for receiving overflow oil; apivoted support for said receptacle; means carried by said support forengagement with said valve closing mechanism for pern'iittinp' resettingof the valve in open position only when the unfilled receptacle is inposition to receive overflow oil.

9. The combination with valve, of means normally fencing to close saidvalve; an overflow receptacle; a support therefor normally in engagementwith said valve closing means to hold the valve in open position, butdisengaged therefrom when the overflow receptacle has been filled apredetermined amount; and means to permit resetting of said valve inopen position only when the unfilled receptacle is in place to receiveoverflow.

10. The combination with a valve, of means normally tending to closesaid valve; an overflow receptacle; a support therefor normally inengagement with said, valve clos ing means to hold. the valve in openposition, but disengaged therefrom when the overflow receptacle has beenfilled a predetermined. amount, and means associated with said supportto permit resetting of said valve in open position only when theunfilled receptacle is in place to receive overflow.

ii. In combination with a valve, a weighted lever normally tending toclose said valve, a receptacle for receiving liquid, a support for saidreceptacle, means cooperating with said support and weighted lever forholding the valve in open position when the bucket is retained by saidsupport and is unfilled, said means being tripped to release saidweighted lever when the weight of the receptacle increased by liquidtherein, and means preventing the resetting of said weighted lever ininitial position until said receptacle has been emptied and replaced inits original position.

12. In combination with a valve, a Weighted lever normally tending toclose said valve, a receptacle adapted to receive overflow liquid, meansfor changing the position of said receptacle when it is filled apredetermined amount with overflow liquid, means associated with saidreceptacle for normally holding said valve open, and actuated by thechange in position of said receptacle for permitting said weighted leverto close the valve, and means preventing resetting of said mechanismuntil the receptacle has been emptied of its contents and replaced inoriginal position.

13. In combination with a valve, means normally tending to close saidvalve, an overflow receptacle, means associated with said overflowreceptacle and operative when said receptacle is unfilled to maintainsaid valve operating means in position to hold the valve open, saidmeans permitting closing of the valve by reasonof a change of positionof said receptacle when filled with overflow liquid, and meanspreventing the resetting of said valve in open position until the saidreceptacle has been emptied and replaced in position. 7

14.. In combination with a valve, a weighted lever normally tending toclose said valve. a receptacle adapted to receive overflow liquid,

a support for said receptacle, means movable with said receptacle andsupport when the receptacle is in position to receive liquid but movableindependently of the support when the receptacle is not in position toreceive overflow liquid, said means permitting closing of the valve uponmovement of the receptacle occasioned by the weight of fluid therein,the said means preventing resetting of the valve in open position untilthe receptacle has been emptied of its contents and replaced in positionto receive further overflow.

15. In combination with a valve, a weighted lever normally tending toclose said valve, a receptacle, a pivoted support therefor, sai dsupport and receptacle being adapted to tilt when the receptacle isfilled with liquid to thereby permit the said weighted lever to fall andclose the valve, and a lever in contact with said receptacle when it isin position in its support adapted to assume a position when thereceptacle is removed therefrom to prevent resetting of the valve untilthe emptied receptacle is replaced in its support.

1 (ill 16. In combination With a valve, a pivoted lever normally tendingto close said valve, a receptacle, a pivoted support for said receptacleadapted to tilt therewith When the receptacle is filled with liquid, alever pivoted between its ends adapted to engage the receptacle in saidsupport at one side of its pivot and to engage the valve operating leverat the other side of its pivot, said lever being movable when thereceptacle is removed from its support to prevent resetting of saidvalve in open position until the said receptacle is replaced in thesupport.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

CHARLES B. BUERGER.

